Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 730 - 725 Great Disaster 1

Chapter 730: Chapter 725 Great Disaster 1

The three disciples sat together in the vast and empty hall, silent for a time.

"Honored Master, could you tell us what poison Uncle Master Longgui and you have been inflicted with? Is there any possibility of healing the injuries?"

Lin Xin asked in a soft voice.

At this moment, Dragon Snake was too weak to care anymore.

Lin Xin and Oro refused to leave, come what may, and there was nothing he could do. Although his heart was filled with sorrow, he felt some consolation that the disciples he had taught for most of his life were indeed loyal and virtuous enough to keep him company till the end.

He had already prepared himself for an earlier demise.

After all, if he did not die, Lin Xin and Oro would never choose to leave. Especially Lin Xin, this disciple was so young yet had already broken through to become an Earth Immortal—his future was boundless. He should not fall here prematurely along with his old, undying self.

Upon hearing Lin Xin’s question, he smiled faintly and responded softly.

"The poison I’ve sustained is a minor matter, but my injuries have reached the stage of desolate extinction. Vitality could cease at any moment, and the Life Flame is rapidly extinguishing as time passes. At most..." He paused and continued in a strained voice.

"At most... I can hold on for another half month...."

Upon hearing this, both Oro and Lin Xin’s expressions darkened.

"Unless the Heavenly Longevity Fire is found, even a Heavenly Venerable’s presence would be in vain," Dragon Snake was somewhat resigned at this point. Since he had already decided to die sooner, he no longer urged the two disciples to leave but instead wanted them to keep him company for a little longer.

"The two of you, one with exceptional talent and the other with a solid and honest disposition, one to pioneer and the other to defend, could have complemented each other perfectly.

It’s a pity... it’s a pity I can’t provide you with better conditions anymore."

He was feeling somewhat regretful now.

"Doesn’t Green Lake Mountain care at all!?"

Oro suddenly spoke out, somewhat indignantly.

"It is the karma left from my younger days," Dragon Snake raised his hand to signal him to calm down, "thus the Six Divisions are not convenient to intervene, letting us Realm Masters solve it on our own. The injuries I suffered this time weren’t because of Weaving Emperor Realm, but because of Shadow City. The people from the Golden Crown of Winter have gone to hunt the assassins from Shadow City. By now, they’ve killed thirteen Fifth Rank and two Earth Immortals, avenging me."

Hearing this, Lin Xin was at a loss for words.

Indeed, put this way, Green Lake Mountain had already played the role expected of a Sect’s main branch.

Since the Honored Master said it was karma and enmity from his youth, there was nothing more to say. Had it been outside enemies, it would be another matter—the Sect members should not be bullied by outsiders.

But when both parties belonged to the same Sect, it became problematic.

After some idle chatter with Dragon Snake, the two disciples left the hall.

Before Lin Xin left, Dragon Snake asked him to visit the Fire Seed Hall behind.

Now was the right time to comprehend the Spiritual Fire.

Lin Xin had just broken through the bottleneck of Earth Immortal and ascended to a whole new level. At this moment, he could maximize his comprehension of the Spiritual Fire and benefit greatly from it.

All of the Spiritual Fire within the Fire Seed Hall had been integrated into Dragon Snake’s cultivation techniques, including the Fire Cloud Technique.

Inside the hall, there were rows and rows of huge fire basins arranged in arrays, each burning with a different colored and natured kindling.

Some exploded violently, some flickered restlessly, some were gentle, and others peaceful, with a kaleidoscope of colors and diverse auras.

But Lin Xin left after making a round inside; his current state of mind prevented him from feeling anything at all. Even if he could sense the fires, he was unable to fully absorb and remember the experience due to his unsettled heart, which would only waste time.

**************************

Within another small world of Green Lake Mountain.

Snow and ice covered the mountains and rivers, with countless streams shining silver, glistening under the sunlight.

On closer inspection, all of these streams were not flowing water but heavy, reflective liquid mercury!

At the peak of the highest mountain within this small world.

The mountain summit had been flattened into a complete and welcoming platform.

Practitioners with eight arms were coming and going, ascending and descending intermittently.

The host was an old man with eight arms draped in a snow-white cloak.

He wore a white-gold crown and had a kind face, chatting and laughing while holding a drink with another guest.

A large banquet was set upon the mountain top, with delicious cuisines placed casually on scattered long tables.

In a small, oval pool, aromatic wine gushed forth endlessly. Nearby practitioners constantly approached to fill their cups.

The eight-armed maids were changing the emptied dishes like flowing water, moving about wearing sheer fabric with graceful poise.

"Weaving Emperor Realm Master, you’re about to fulfill your long-cherished wish. Congratulations, congratulations indeed!"

A fat man with a neck like a serpent, stretching over a meter long, approached. His head bobbered continuously as if hung in front of his body.

"Donglai Realm Master has also arrived, I see," the Weaving Emperor Realm Master laughed heartily.

"Dragon Snake was arrogant and haughty in his youth. Though not entirely his fault, he was responsible for three or four parts of the vendetta against my father and brothers. His downfall in old age is a result of his own doing!"

The Qing Shan Realm Master joined in, a lifelong enemy and rival of Dragon Snake. They both had deep grievances against each other, and hearing these words, he too couldn’t help but reveal a smug smile.

"This time, with the three of us Realm Masters and the assistance of five Daoist friends from the Great Perfection realm, along with a hundred and eight Human Immortal Dao soldiers, failure in the fusion challenge is nearly impossible. I’m curious to see what expression Dragon Snake will have then."

He also thought back to the disciple who had gone to Dragon Snake’s side and felt complex emotions.

As for Lin Sherie, whether the fault lay with him or his own disciple, it no longer mattered.

What mattered was that he had chosen Dragon Snake’s side, thus sealing the inevitable outcome now before him.

The three exchanged a smile, feeling a deep sense of exhilaration.

All three realm masters were Fourth Realm Candle Earth Immortals and had also achieved Great Perfection in their cultivation. Each possessed a realm artifact, and although individually none of them could match the Dragon Serpent, by joining forces, two could contend with the Dragon Serpent at its peak.

Now, with all three realm masters taking action at once, and the Dragon Serpent was critically injured and on the brink of death, weakened to the core.

With such a decrease on one side and an increase on the other, the outcome of the balance was clear.

The three sensed their surroundings, and decided just to transmit their thoughts without moving their lips.

"This upheaval in the Earth Fire Realm, with Shadow City intervening, the opportunity could be said to be perfect. When we divide the Dragon Serpent Realm, what proportion shall we use?"

The Weaving Emperor Realm Master whispered.

The Donglai Realm Master had already given it thought and said with a smile,

"Divide it into ten parts, with each of us taking three, and the remaining one portion to manage the general sect."

"Not good," objected the Qing Shan Realm Master, shaking his head. Seeing both turn their gaze to him, he smiled slightly and said, "I don’t want my share. The Weaving Emperor Realm Master has contributed the most this time, so give two portions to the Weaving Emperor Realm, and Donglai brother can divide the remaining portion."

To him, owning more territory in a small world was not significant at present, as he was the wealthiest and best managed among the three. Thus, he did not care about the barren Dragon Serpent Realm.

After a pause, he added one more thing,

"I only want the Dragon Serpent Realm Master’s realm artifact, the Earthfire Nine Spirit Beads!"

The two realm masters fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

After a while, the Donglai Realm Master nodded in agreement.

"Agreed, while a realm artifact is precious, each of us can only own one, and more is useless. Besides, Qing Shan brother, it will be perfect to compensate for your disciple’s needs."

Qing Shan immediately nodded with a smile.

"I have no problems either," said the Weaving Emperor Realm Master, also nodding.

"Then everything is clear," said the Qing Shan Realm Master with a smile, raising his glass.

The other two realm masters also raised their glasses, and the surrounding cultivators did the same, congratulating with laughter.

The three sipped the fine wine.

All around were words of praise; everyone knew that once the Dragon Serpent Realm was merged, the Weaving Emperor Realm would gain even more territory.

And how this fat piece would be divided would depend on the Weaving Emperor Realm Master’s will.

But no one noticed the fleeting look of vengeful satisfaction in the eyes of the Qing Shan Realm Master.

Perhaps neither the Weaving Emperor Realm Master nor the Donglai Realm Master had considered that the intervention of Shadow City and the uprising in the Earth Fire Realm, both erupting simultaneously, were orchestrated by the very person who was drinking with them.

Or maybe they had guessed it, but as beneficiaries of the situation, no one cared about an old man who had made numerous enemies in his youth and was now terminally ill and close to his end.

With the Dragon Serpent fallen, as for the other disciples, the sensible ones would change their allegiance and leave early.

The obstinate ones, though they could not be killed due to the sect’s rules, could easily be sent to other harsh and dangerous lands under some pretext now that they lacked support.

************************

Earth Fire Realm.

Countless vortex-like flames and molten lava flowed through midair like crimson rivers.

There was no ground here, only the black floating rocks that would sometimes solidify in midair.

On these giant rocks, strange and grotesque flame-engulfed creatures crawled about.

The sky was like an enormous abyss turned upside down, its entrance directly facing the entire Earth Fire Realm.

Inside, it was pitch black, void of any sight.

On one of the massive rocks,

a strong man with five heads stood with fists clenched to his chest, overlooking the fiery landscape below.

After waiting for a short while, a black shadow flew rapidly from behind him from afar.

Gliding over the countless fiery rocks and lava without so much as touching them, it appeared as a weightless shadow, almost imperceptible.

The shadow quickly landed on the giant rock where Huan Niu stood, its figure shifting to reveal its form.

It was a woman clad in tight-fitting Black Armor with an unusually sharp chin, her arms and limbs were as thin as fingers, weaving through the air as though they were tentacles, utterly mismatched with her somewhat full figure.

"Are your people ready?" the woman asked in a sinister tone as soon as she appeared, addressing Huan Niu.

"They have been ready. Last time, I suffered a heavy setback at the hands of a Dragon Serpent disciple. This time, I must reclaim my honor!" Huan Niu replied coldly.

"Suit yourself, just don’t interfere with our plan.

Also, that person will notify us in time before the challenge starts. So when the time comes, the Earth Fire Realm..."

The woman hadn’t finished her sentence when Huan Niu interrupted.

"Both the great lords of the Earth Fire are Born Earth Immortals; if the Dragon Serpent is no more, who could stop us at this opportunity?" Huan Niu’s tone was ferocious, and the mention of the Dragon Serpent reignited the humiliation he felt when defeated by that mere Fifth Rank Human Immortal.

Suddenly, anger surged up inside him.